Bobby pin spreader and dispenser



April 20, 194s.' R. P. SHARP', sa 2,439,870

BOBBY PIN SPREADER AND DISPENSER Filed July 24, 194e 2 sheets-sheet 1 R. P. SHARP, SR

BOBBY PIN SPREADER AND DISPENSER April 20, 1948.

Filed July 24, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 20, lgdS UNITED STATE-s PATENT oFF-ICE 2,439,870 BOBBY PIN SPREADER ANI@y DISPENSER' Ralph P. Sharp, Sr., Carvlle, La., assignor of onethrd to Morris H. Faures and one-third to Albion B.. Cobb, both of Baton Bouge, La.

Application July 24, 1946, S e1 'a1 Nol 685,880

This invention relates to a device ier dispensing and spreading bobby pins, suoli as are customarily used to hold hair in place. and is particularly advantageous ier use in beauty parlors or other plaoes where a plurality of pins must be rapidly applied.

An obi eet of; the invention is. to provide a. bobby pin dispenser which rapidly dispenses a spread bobby pin to the operator.

n further object-oi the invention is to. provide a device of this character which may be actuated by one hand of the operator, leaving the other hand free to arrange the hair,

Another object oi. the invention is to provide a dispenser capable of holding a substantial number of bobby pins so that the operator will have Sllleent pins to take care of several customers Without hal/lne to stop and reload the magazine.

Anv additional obiect of the invention is, to. provide a dispenser having a simple and eiiective Combined loading means and magazine, whereby a multiplicity of pins are held the magazine and a supply of loaded magazines maybe available for ready use in the dispenser.-

The invention herein disclosed obvates the dlficulties encountered in the use. of a spring fed magazine, especially its ,frequent jamming; and ls characterized by simplicity of construction and reliability of operation, whereby the bobby pins can be spread quickly and conveniently and be dispensed` from a magazine singly,y as required by the operator. Y

This device meets a very urgent need ugrhichexists at the present time, especially in beauty parlors, whereV large numbers Vof bobby pins are applied daily. It is customary 'for the operator to pry the legs of the pin apart either with the fingernail or by means of the teeth, and it is well know that such expedients' aredangerous K and nnsanitary, Devices in the nature of ,Spreadlers have been proposed, but have beenifourld objectionable, because lt is necessary to hold the devices in one hand and to remove the pins with the other, thus requiring both hands of the operator. The presentV invention comprises a dispensing device which may be mounted in a box or cabinet or attached to a table or wall beside which the operator is working, and merely requires the pressing olE a lever with a linger to simultaneously spread and dispense a bobby pin which can be removed when needed by the use of the same hand.

The construction ofthe present invention in.- eiudes magazine in` the shape oi a lone thin blade upon which are carried a large number of s claims. (c1, 13a- 1) f bobby pins and the .l'oottomv pin is continuously placed by gravity in alignment with a finger, which is actuated by a simple lever through a connecting mechanism to turn the said pin through an angle, of in a plane perpendicular tothe blade, whereby the pin ls simultaneously spread and dispensed.

Referring to the drawings: Figure l is a rear view of the device;

Figure 2; is a iront view of the device, the parts 'being concealed by a facing member or cover;

i Figure 3 is an enlarged front View of the device with the base and cover removed;

Figure. 4, is a top plan view of. the device with the mechanism in its normal position;

Figure, 5, is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the actuating lever in a depressed position ywith the bobby pin spread and dispensed.

Figure''saplan view showing one of the loaded magazines of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, the device shown comprises a supporting base lo, by means of which the device can be fastened to a table or the like, and a front cover ii attached to one edge ol the base and having an intermediate transversely extending slot l2 through which the bobby pins are dispensed one at a time. The bobby pins I3 are strung in a closely aligned yrow and in superposed relation on a magazine ld. which consists of a long flat blade ci? steel or other suitable rigid material.' The blade is inserted for free movement in a slot l5 in a shelf is attached to the rear of cover il, whereby the top Surface of the shelf is level and aligned with the slot .l2 in the cover li. The aligned closed bobby pins are held in place on the blade by their'ow-n spring action, the lowermost pin resting'on the'top surface of the shelf lo in line with the slot l2 and serves to detachably Slip portv the magazine on the shelf` As stated'above, the magazine lll moves freely within the slot l5 in the shelf l and as a result, when the lowerymost spread bobby pin is dispensed and'remo'v'ed from the magazine lll, the latter' with its'rovv of plus drops by gravity so that the succeeding pin is aligned adjacent the slot l2 in position to be spread and dispensed by the mechanism to be described below. This action is'repeated until all of the pins have been dispensed and removed, and the magazine entirely depleted. whereupon a new' loaded magazine may be readily inserted in the slot l5. f

The means for spreading and dispensing the bottom pin comprise a pivoted operating lever Il, connecting link I8, crank I9,^vertical rod'2ll,l and v90 as explained above.

finger or ejector 2l. Both the crank I9 and the iinger 2| are rigidly fastened to the rod 20 at its top and bottom ends respectively. Upon depressing the lever II, crank I9, rod 20, and finger 2I are rotated 90 by means of the connecting link I 8. Upon releasing lever I1, `the crank I9 and finger 2l are returned to their original position by the action of spring 22, surrounding the rod 20, one end of the spring being anchored to a pin 25 projecting from the lower end of the shelf I6, While the other end is attached to the rod 20. The finger 2I in its movement engages the lowermost pin and rotates it through 90 about the stationary iiat magazine blade I4, whereby the closed end of the pin is projected through the slot I2 in the cover II, and the pin is spread by engagement with the longitudinal edges of the blade and held in its spread condition for ready removal.

As is apparent from Figure 5, the movement of the spread pin to dispensing position is limited bymeans of a stop 23 which projects from the top 'of shelf I6 and is carried thereby.

The operation of the device is described hereafter.

Bobby pins areplaoed on the magazine blade I4 with all free ends of the pins pointing in the same direction and the blade near the center of the pins. The closed ends of the pins should all be aligned. The bobby pins are retained in place on the blade by their own spring action. The loaded magazine blade I4 is inserted through the slot I5 in the shelf I6 and, due to the Weight of the row of bobby pins and of the blade, the

bottom bobby pin on the blade will rest on the shelf I6 in line with the dispensing slot I2. Preferably the pins are mounted on the blade so that the flat side of the pin is adjacent the finger 2|. When a bobby pin is needed, the lever I1 is pressed down onto the shelf I6 by a finger of the operator, thereby rotating the ejector 2I through The linger or ejector 2 I, which bears against the bottom bobby pin, will simultaneously rotate the latter 90 about the blade I4, thereby spreading and dispensing the pin through the slot ZI as shown in Figure. The bobby pin is held in this position until removed from the device by the operator, by the same hand with which the lever l1 was actuated, for insertion in the hair. As soon as the bobby pin has been removed, the Weight of the magazine and of the remaining pins causes it to drop, so that the next pin rests on the shelf and is in position to be spread and dispensed.

As explained above, by using one hand, the

`device will spread all bobby pins regardless of length or shape, and leave the other hand of the operator to arrange or hold the hair. Each pin is spread a uniform distance without damaging the pins, so that the pins may be used over again Without being distorted in any way. The method of feeding the device by gravity eliminates The magazine may be made in lengths to accommodate 200 to 300 pins, which will avoid frequent reloading of the magazine. Y It is apparent that the base I0 as Well as the front cover I I, can be dispensed with and the device can be suitably supported in operating position by attaching the shelf I6 to a Wall as 'by screws or the like. The inclusion of the base I0 and cover II make for a neater and attractive appearing device.

What is claimed is:

l. A bobby pin spreader and dispenser operable .mounted on the shelf for pivotal movement in a A.

plane parallel to the plane of the bobby pins and the jamming that is so common in spring loaded ,magazines by ,one hand comprising a thin magazine blade for holding the pins, a support for said blade and pivotal means on said support for turning each pin about the blade whereby said pin is simultaneously spread and dispensed.

2. A mechanism for dispensing and spreading bobby pins comprising a thin blade for receiving the bobby pins in close alignment, a support for said blade and pivotal means on said support for turning a bobby pin on said blade 90 in a plane perpendicular to said 'blade to spread and dispense the pin. y

3. A device for dispensing and spreading bobby pins one at a time comprising the combination of a thin vertical blade holding a number of bobby pins in close superposed alignment, a horizontal support for said blade, and a leverand associated linkage on said support for turning the bottom pin 90 about the thin blade to dispense the pin in a spread position.

fi. A device for dispensing and spreading bobby pins one at a time comprising a magazine consisting of a long iiat vertical blade of rigid material adapted to carry a number of bobby pins in close superposed alignment, a horizontal support for said blade, said pins being retained in position on the blade by their own spring action, means for displacing the bottom pin in a spread position, and means for slidably supporting said magazine, whereby the entire magazine descends by gravity and the succeeding pin is presented in position for spreading when the spread pin ls removed from the magazine.

5. A mechanism for dispensing and spreading bobby pins comprising a thin at blade upon which the bobby pins are strung, an operating lever, an actuating finger mounted for pivotal movement in a plane parallel to the plane of the bobby pins and adapted to turn a, bobby pin approximately 90 about the blade in a plane perpendicular to said blade so as to spread and dispense said bobby pin in a single movement, and a yielding linkage connecting said operating lever and actuating nger.

6. A bobby pin dispenser and spreader comprlsing a supporting shelf, a, slot in said shelf, a magazine consisting of a long, thin blade inserted in said slot and carrying bobby pins in close superposed alignment with' the lowermost pin resting upon the shelf, an operating nger adapted upon actuation to turn the lowermost bobby pin 90 in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the blade. to spread and dispense said blade, lever means for operating said finger, said magazine being adapted to move freely Within said slot and descend by gravity in the slot upon the removal of th'e spread pin, thereby causing the succeeding lowermost pin to rest on the shelf in position to be spread upon further operation of said finger.

Y'7. A bobby pin spreader and dispenser comprising a horizontal supporting shelf, a slot in said shelf, a thin vertical magazine blade inserted in said slot and adapted for free sliding movement therein, and adapted to have bobby pins .strung in close superposed alignment thereon,

5 bobby puin is rotated through approximately 90 REFERENCES CITED lsllfjhe magazine blade and 1s simultaneously The following references are of record in the 8. A device according to claim 7 provided with me of thls patent: o a cover', a slot in said cover in proximity to the l UNITED STATES PATENTS top surface of the shelf, whereby upon rotation of the nger and the spreading of the pin, the closed Nlgg Katlgv'me .111528581941 end of the pin is fed through said slot in position 2305925 Josepl; Dec 22 1942 for ready removal.

RALPH P. SHARP, SR. 10 

